The Brawl
by At A Venture
Summary: SookieQuinn. SookieEric. Follows Definitely Dead Sookie dukes it out with Tanya the Werewolf at Merlotte's. OneShot.


The Brawl

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It had been two weeks since I'd returned from settling Hadley's affairs before trouble reared its' ugly head again. I'd given up on my New Year's resolution to avoid getting beaten up almost immediately. However, as I began to take a serious interest in Quinn, I realized I could date a Supe and avoid personal violence. Quinn came to visit me on the days and nights when he stayed in Shreveport, so I'd seen him a half dozen times since returning to Bon Temps. He was a sweet man, low key and charming. I relished the time we slept together, my cheek pressed against his chest, listening to the familiar thump of a living heart. Unfortunately, as the days of our relationship accumulated, I felt bored with the dynamic. I couldn't even explain what I was really feeling. Quinn was warm and showered me with compliments until I begged him to stop. He brought me presents or took me to the movies, or we grilled out in the yard. When the full moon came around, he stayed away, aware of how uncomfortable I was with his furry form. Still, there was something missing, something nagging on my mind.

Quinn stopped by as the moon waned again, his hand clutching a small bouquet of wild flowers. He grinned at me from the doorstep and stooped to kiss my lips. I couldn't help but giggle at the gift, and I swung my arms around his neck to thank him properly. Quinn lifted me easily against his chest with one arm, and set the bouquet on the coffee table. He was still feeding off the adrenalin of his change and he revealed his passion as he pressed his pelvis against mine.

"There's chicken on the stove…" I mumbled between kisses. I was still holding a spatula in my hand. It was beaded with olive oil.

"I like it singed," he growled against my ear, nipping me playfully.

"Don't want the kitchen to burn down again," I frowned, wiggling against him.

"Right," he replied, only half aware. He steered toward the kitchen when I nudged him in the hip with my knee. I felt as though I were riding a horse. Well, maybe I would be soon.

I flicked off the burner and peered down at the meal. I thought about lifting the pan off the stove, but Quinn twirled around and shoved me against the new refrigerator. The spatula clattered against the floor when I dropped it. My hands wrapped around his neck again while he fidgeted with his belt, the button of his jeans, the zipper. He was inside me in less than a minute. I whimpered gently as he bounced me against the fridge. A few magnets slid down behind me and fell on the floor. I vaguely hoped they didn't break. I closed my eyes, waiting for the rush of excitement. It came as though it was dragging me under water, sucking me down like the bayou. I felt myself thrash, trying to keep above water. Quinn grunted along with me, then sighed and relaxed.

"Mmm," he rumbled. It was that deep, guttural rumble that I loved so much. I sighed and slid down onto the floor, my thighs shivering. I gathered my skirt around my waist and checked on the chicken.

"What have you been up to?" he asked me as we sat down at the kitchen table. I'd served green beans and potatoes with the chicken. He dug in as though he hadn't eaten in days, though I was sure he'd gone hunting.

"Oh, you know, work," I said thoughtfully.

"That good, huh?" Quinn smirked, nudging my knee under the table.

"That Were, Tanya, is still there. You remember, the Pelts hired her to befriend me? Well, Sam took a liking to her, and now they're dating. He doesn't even care that she was a spy." I frowned.

"Well, maybe she just likes the work, babe," Quinn suggested, spooning more potatoes onto his plate.

"Or maybe she's trying to pull a fast one on Sam," I grumbled half-heartedly.

"Are you jealous?" Quinn asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No!" I gasped. "Sam's my friend is all. I don't want him to get hurt by some bitchy…"

"Werewolf." Quinn finished for me.

"Forget it."

We finished our meal in silence, and I was still fuming when Quinn washed the dishes in the sink. When he'd finished, he settled onto the sofa beside me so that we could watch television for awhile. He cuddled against me, kissing my neck and shoulders. He was deliberately trying to take my mind off of Tanya, and I guess I let it work after awhile. Quinn lifted me up off the sofa and carried me into the bedroom. He tossed me on the bed and took off his tee shirt while I unbuttoned his jeans. Outside, I could hear the faint croaking of toads. My triumphant voice didn't seem to disturb their rhythm.

Nestling against Quinn, I sighed and closed my eyes. A certain blond vampire lurked behind my eyelids, his cool lips pressing against my collarbone, his fingers lazily tracing the curve of my breast. Eric was attentive but deliberately slow, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. I was panting, trying to maintain some kind of control over my own body. The vampire's deep blue eyes danced excitedly, watching me struggle like a victim in his grasp. His lips twitched against my inner thigh, and I tensed as he prepared to bite me. I found myself looking forward to it, to the graze of his fangs, to the sharpness of the pain and the eroticism of the experience.

I woke up with beads of sweat on my brow. Quinn was waking up as well, and he nuzzled his nose against my neck. He was barely awake and already aroused. I crawled out of bed almost instantly, tugging my robe over my shoulders. When I stood up, I was shaking. Quinn glanced at me under half-lidded eyes.

"I have to get ready for work," I murmured as I tripped toward the shower. I could hear Quinn shuffling around as I turned on the faucet.

Quinn had left for work by the time I emerged from the bathroom, teeth brushed and make-up on. I'd swept my hair into a ponytail and thrown on my uniform. The house was quiet again, and I felt my thoughts wander back to my dream. I leaned against the kitchen counter, pushing scrambled eggs around a pan. Eric's head bent down over my shoulder, his extended fangs dragging against my collarbone. His tongue flickered between them and licked my throat. Ignoring the smell of burning eggs, I stretched my hand out to the counter. I imagined his soft blond hair tickling my shoulder, his cool hand cupping my breast.

"Ouch!" I squeaked, coming back to Earth. My hand had stretched out to the stove instead of the kitchen counter, and I'd touched the burner. I turned on the tap and shoved my hand under the cold water, fingertips throbbing. The kitchen clock told me I had to be at work in a half hour, and I still hadn't eaten my breakfast. The eggs were spongy and ruined, so I tossed the entire pan in the sink and grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry. As soon as I finished, I tossed the bowl into the sink along with my eggs, and scrambled out to the car to drive to Merlotte's.

I had the eleven to five shift on a Thursday, which promised a slow and long day refilling sugar trays and salt shakers. I'd been kind, and I'd switched shifts with Holly Cleary, a gothic-leaning mother of one, and a Wiccan. She'd covered for me a few days before when I'd had an unexpected date with Quinn, and now it was my turn. Sam greeted me with a smile. He was already behind the bar when I arrived, wiping out glasses with a white bar rag. His new girlfriend, Tanya, was wiping down tables in her section.

"Good morning, Sookie," Sam grinned, offering me a cup of coffee. I shook my head. I felt like I needed a cold drink to go along with a cold shower. Wrapping an apron around my black shorts, I picked up a rag and began tending to my own section. I tried to stay as far away from Tanya as I could.

"Morning, Sookie!" Tanya greeted me, her smile fresh and beaming. She'd obviously spent the night with Sam. She looked too happy to have spent her time alone. I felt the sudden urge to smack her in the face and send her packing. I couldn't tell if she was really interested in Sam, or if she was just leading him on for the heck of it. Her werewolf mind was completely unreadable. It drove me up the wall.

"Morning," I muttered to both of them. The door opened and our first customer walked in. Andy Bellefleur sat down in my section, stared at his menu, and ordered a beer. It was a little past 11:30 in the morning, but I wasn't about to judge him. Honestly, I envied Andy. I didn't have enough confidence to order a beer for myself.

Andy lifted his eyes to me when I slung the beer down alongside him. He looked tired, and though I hadn't meant to pry specifically, a quick search of his mind revealed that he'd had a quarrel with Halleigh about moving into their own place. Andy rubbed the back of his head. He knew I could hear his thoughts, and he seemed embarrassed. The fight had been his fault. He wasn't ready to move out of his grandmother's mansion.

"What can I get you?" I asked, taking my pad out of the pocket of my apron. I pulled a pen out from behind my ear.

"Cheeseburger?" He asked me instead of ordering directly. I scribbled his order on my pad and trotted off to deliver it to the cook.

The afternoon carried on in much the same way. Merlotte's was beyond quiet, and I found myself filling ketchup bottles, checking on supplies, and stuffing napkin holders. Arlene came in with the kids to pick up her check, and she decided to stay for lunch. I listened to my flaming red-headed best friend gab on about her latest boyfriend. She talked about how sweet he was, his affection for the children, and of course, his mastery of the bedroom. A year ago, I had been unable to relate to Arlene's sexual escapades. Now that I could finally understand her enthusiasm, Arlene laid it on pretty thick.

At four, one of the dinner shift waitresses had called in sick. Sam began to pick through the list of back-ups, and finally convinced Tanya to cover for the rest of the night. I continued serving my tables, but by five, I was ready to leave for the night. Sam caught me as I went to retrieve my bag from his office. He had just gotten off the phone, and he looked upset. I knew what was coming and I was already shaking my head.

"No way, Sam. I did my time." I said with a grunt. There was no way I was spending my entire night alongside Tanya.

"Just until ten, Sookie. Arlene can come in at ten. I need you Sookie. It's already picking up." Sam gestured to the restaurant. He was right. Most of the tables were already full, and several pitchers of beer needed to be re-filled. Tanya was darting from table to table without a moment to rest. My shoulders were heavy.

"I'm out of here at ten, on the dot." I frowned.

"Fine, that's fine." Sam nodded. "Thanks, Sookie."

Tanya beamed wearily at me from her section. I felt the urge to clock her one boil in my blood.

By nine o'clock, the orders were flying in and out of the kitchen. I was running in circles to my tables, slinging beers across tables. Tanya was equally busy on the other side of the room, her arms weighed down with trays of French fries and hamburgers. I was almost warming up to her work ethic. She kept up with the work despite an agonizing shift, and I could see that she was earning a generous amount in tips. I stretched out my mind for a minute, trying to anticipate orders. I tried to filter out the irrelevant comments. It was something new I was trying, controlling my telepathy. I figured I was really onto something.

_Best of both worlds, _Tanya thought. The filter was hopeless. I listened in. Somehow, I'd concentrated so hard, I'd managed to break through Tanya's huge mental wall. _A great job and a great lay. _

I could already feel my rage. Merlotte's was a great job for me, but I had a sneaking suspicion that she didn't mean the waitressing job. Tanya had originally been hired by Sandra Pelt to befriend me and thus learn about what had happened between me and Debbie, her elder sister. While I was in New Orleans, settling my cousin, Hadley's, estate, I dealt with Sandra and her parents. I had thought that had been the end of it, and that Tanya would leave town, but it hadn't happened that way. Tanya stayed on and on and eventually began dating Sam. Bon Temps hadn't been particularly happy with their new werewolf neighbor, and Tanya had no friends outside Sam. I'd always had a bad feeling about her, even after Sandra had been put in her place.

_With next week's check from Sandra, I can buy that dress. It'll knock his socks off._

I could see the dress in her mind, and even the price tag. She'd seen it in a catalog at Tara's high-end boutique, and she'd instantly fallen in love with it. At first, I didn't even pay attention to the fact that the check was from Sandra Pelt. And then it dawned on me. That vindictive Were child was still having me followed. I was still being watched! Tanya really was using Sam! I couldn't believe it.

Behind me, I could hear Hoyt Fortenberry calling me for another refill, but I pushed the sound out of my head. I narrowed my eyes at the Were, and my tray dropped from my hands. Food and porcelain smashed against the floor. People whirled around, and Sam was staring at me as though I might be hurt. I knew exactly what I was doing, though. I'd been in bar brawls before. I thrust out my arms, snagged her by the neck, and shoved her into the wall.

It was only two nights after a full moon, and if I had been thinking clearly, I might have held off on the fight just then. I just didn't give the fight a lot of thought. Instead, I clawed at her hair and her arms. She growled, a deep inhuman sound, and defended herself. She pulled my ponytail harshly, pulling a clump of my hair right out of my head. There were people on their feet now, and Sam had jumped out from behind the bar. He was shouting incomprehensibly. I couldn't even hear him. Instead, I focused intently on Tanya's masked thoughts.

"You damn bitch! Get off of me!" Tanya was yelling. She scratched me harshly and I squeaked with pain. In her head, I caught a glimpse of Sandra Pelt ordering her vengeance. _Kill her if you get the chance. Make it look like an accident. _I scowled and threw a mean punch. Tanya growled again. Her eyes were glowing yellow. Her red fingernails were growing out. She was changing.

"Tanya! Sookie! Enough of this!" Sam was shouting in the background. I felt arms around my neck and I rolled over to shove them away. Tanya was on top of me, throwing furry fists into my shoulders. This would be some accident. It'd be blamed completely on me. She'd cry self-defense.

Suddenly, Tanya was pounding on me more than I'd pounded on her. I threw up my arms in front of my face. I felt dizzy and my head was wet. I lost track of Tanya's thoughts, and even my own. The world was hazy and dim. I'd started this fight, but now I seemed in capable of finishing it. Hell, at this point, I was incapable of almost everything. I choked. My throat was sticky. Tanya was a powerful Were, and her face was bright with the joy of a brawl. She was enjoying this far too much. I wondered, in a daze, if Sam could tell.

With half-open eyes, I stared at a smooth white hand closing around Tanya's neck. The punching stopped. I felt my lungs inflate, and I gasped for air. Tanya let out a shriek as she was thrown across the bar. I looked up into Eric's face as he pulled me to my feet.

"Everything all right, Sookie?" He asked smoothly, his eyes laughing but his mouth straight. Eric loved to fight, but he was equally concerned for my safety.

"My fight," I muttered with a swollen lower lip. Blood dribbled over my tongue.

"Really?" Eric grinned now, his eyes darting to Tanya. She was draped over Sam's arm, panting.

"She's been hired to kill me," I said matter-of-factly, but my blood was boiling again. I couldn't believe Sandra had gone back on her word. I couldn't stand the fact that Sam was sleeping with the enemy. And I felt an intense desire to rip Tanya's throat out.

"Sookie!" Sam roared. He didn't believe me.

"It's true! She's just screwing you because you're available. Sandra Pelt hired her to kill me. She wanted it to look like an accident! She was just waiting for the perfect moment. She knew I was riled up already. If I started the fight, she could beat me until I died. Self-defense!"

"Sookie! What the hell are you talking about?" Andy Bellefleur was behind me again. He'd come in to have a drink. Thoughts were beginning to flood into my brain, and I did my best to shut them out. Eric stood stock still behind me. His hand was holding my elbow.

"It's true that Sandra Pelt hired Tanya," Eric said. I'd forgotten that he'd been there. I wondered if Sam would even believe him. Sam was glancing between the two of us now.

"How long have you known me, Sam?" I squeaked. "How long have you known her?"

Sam was still holding Tanya when I gathered my things out of his office and stomped out of the employee entrance. Eric followed behind me, grabbing my wrist as I stepped out into the parking lot. I was still panting, still hopped up on the adrenalin of the fight. I'd be hurting later, but for now, I was energetic. I was excited. I twisted back to Eric. His fangs had retracted, and he looked smooth and calm but for the gaiety in his luminous blue eyes. Without a second thought, a hesitation, I stretched up on my toes and kissed him. I could sense his surprise in his gesture. He balked slightly, but didn't pull away from me. Instead, the vampire swept me up in his arms as though I were weightless and carried me into the woods that surrounded the bar.

I felt the jarring sensation of bark scrape my back, but I didn't care. I threw back my head and gave him access to my throat. I could feel his eyes on me, staring at me hungrily. His hands roamed my figure, sweating and sticky. He kissed my neck before tearing my bloody shirt away. His chin dove between my breasts while he fiddled with the waist of my shorts. My hands threaded into his hair. Certainly if I were capable of blood lust, I'd be reaching for his veins right now.

Though we were fueled by the thrill of a fight, the sex was tender in a way that sex with Quinn had never been. In the dark of the woods, against the trunk of a willow tree, Eric showered me with attention. After all, he'd been doing this for centuries. He knew how to please a woman, and he knew that he was extremely talented in that area. I felt his fangs sink into the artery in my groin, and a spasm of pleasure shot through me. I clawed at the tree. I dug my hands into his shoulders. At one point, I dug my fingernails into my palms until I had drawn blood.

When the rush subsided, I found that I was whimpering softly in the passenger seat of Eric's Corvette. While he drove, he smoothed one hand through my hair. My body was sore, and yet oddly disconnected from the rest of me. My mind felt light, as if I'd had too much to drink. Maybe Eric had had too much to drink. It didn't matter. He pulled up the gravel driveway in front of my house, Gran's house, and he lifted me from the car.

Instead of dumping me on Gran's front porch, my front porch, I invited him in. Eric stepped over the threshold, cradling me against his chest, and carried me into the bedroom. I stared up at him for a long time before the evening's events dawned on me.

"Did I pick a fight with a werewolf?" I asked cautiously. The night was blurring around the edges. Eric was glowing in the darkness of my bedroom.

"Yes." Eric chuckled. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Did I have sex with you in the woods?" I blinked. I wanted to make sure it wasn't a really good dream.

"Yes."

"Did Sam fire me?" The thought was the least of my worries. Surely Sam would understand.

"We'll deal with Sam later," Eric sighed, touching my face. He looked almost human. I was very glad he wasn't. "Get some rest."

I shut my eyes. Eric was waiting for me in my dreams.


End file.
